----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/Space_Wanderer_book_Part_1_Julian_Ray_800_250.jpg]
----------------------------------------
Ry took a deep breath, steeling himself as he stepped into the airlock. His spacesuit hummed to life, sealing him off from the vacuum of space beyond. His heart pounded in his chest like a distant drumbeat, adrenaline surging through his veins as he prepared to venture out onto the shattered remains of what had once been a pirate ship.
As Ry reached out to initiate the airlock cycle, an image flashed through his mind: a little girl, her eyes wide and curious, dressed in a fanciful dress that seemed out of place amidst the functional environment of his cargo hold. He shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge the memory like a stubborn piece of debris clinging to his helmet.
Was it a trick of his imagination? A hallucination born from stress and isolation? Or something more sinister, a sign that his mind was finally beginning to fray after years of pushing its limits?
He knew he should dismiss the thought, keep focused on the current task. But Ry couldn't shake off the image so easily. It lingered in his mind, gnawing at him like an insistent whisper.
Ry gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the control panel. No, he wouldn't let some mysterious specter distract him from his mission! He had survived too much, seen too many wonders and horrors of the cosmos, to be undone by a mere figment of his imagination!
With a sharp inhale, Ry initiated the airlock cycle, the hiss of escaping atmosphere filling his ears like a distant sigh. The outer door slid open, revealing the stark contrast between the warm, inviting glow of his vessel and the cold, desolate expanse of space that stretched out before him like an endless, frozen sea.
Ry took one last look at the little girl's face etched in his mind, then stepped out onto the hull, determined to leave her—and any lingering doubts about his sanity—behind. For now, there was work to be done. And Ry wouldn't let anything stand in his way!
----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/4-debris/Space_Wanderer_Debris_Pirate.jpg]
His boots magnetized to the damaged plating, allowing him to move with relative ease as he made his way towards the breached section of his ship's hull. Ry knew that if he could find a piece of metal to patch that hole, he might stand a chance of limping to the nearest dock. He turned his attention to the debris field floating nearby—remnants of the ship that had attacked them, now little more than twisted scrap and fragments.
Engaging his suit's thrusters, Ry propelled himself towards the debris, eyes scanning the chaotic mess for anything usable. As he approached, a pang of unease washed over him. This was where they'd died—those who sought to end him.
He pushed the thought aside, concentrating instead on the task at hand. He had to be quick and efficient if he was going to make it out of this ordeal alive.
A glint of metal caught his eye, and Ry drifted closer, eyes narrowing he observed the sight before him. It was a rocket engine, torn free from its mountings and left to float among the ruins. One side was ravaged by whatever force had torn it loose, but the engine itself seemed largely intact.
As he reached out to examine it more closely, the cold wave of shock froze him for a moment—a human body hung limply in the void right in front of him—as still as the cold expanse surrounding them. "Damn!" he exclaimed, the word resonating inside his helmet.
The lifeless form was a man, his features contorted in a grotesque mask of agony and terror, forever frozen in that final moment. The edges of his leather jacket floated motionlessly in the weightless environment, a silent testament against the backdrop of swirling debris.
Ry pulled back sharply, heart pounding in his chest as he realized he was face-to-face with one of those who had attempted to end his life on their recent encounter. A grim sense of déjà vu washed over him, chilling him more than the sub-zero temperatures outside his spacesuit.
His gaze darted over the figure, searching for any identifying marks, any insignia that might reveal allegiance. But there were none—they had chosen anonymity over honor. Ry felt a strange emptiness in seeing this enemy reduced to such a state—not hatred or triumph, but an almost morbid pity.
Here was another soul consumed by greed and ambition, now left to drift through eternity among the stars, alone and forgotten. It wasn't an easy sight for any man, even one as hardened as Ry.
----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/4-debris/Space_Wanderer_Debris_Insignia.jpg]
Shaking off the grim thoughts, Ry turned his attention back to the immediate task. He couldn't afford sentimentality out here; not when his life hung in the balance. With grim determination, he set about searching for something—anything—that might help him limp away from this graveyard.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
And then, he saw it: a piece of metal, roughly the right size and shape to patch the hole in Silver Serpent’s hull.
Ry fired a couple of thruster pulses, maneuvering closer to examine the debris. As he approached, he confirmed its suitability—it was indeed a section of the enemy ship's hull, large enough to serve as a patch.
And as he drew nearer, he noticed something else—a symbol etched into the metal—a ghostly, ethereal figure draped in tattered space-cloth, hovering in front of a crescent moon. Ry recognized it instantly: the insignia of the notorious pirate group, the "Star Wraiths"!
Ry had heard tales of their ruthlessness and cunning, but their paths had never crossed until now. Why would they want to destroy his ship? There was nothing aboard Silver Serpent more valuable than the vessel itself... Or was there?
The image of the little girl standing in the cargo hold flashed through his mind. Could she have been their target? Ry shook his head—impossible, she wasn't real! Just a hallucination—a figment of his imagination temporarily out of control. And it would pass. He knew, the best way to deal with ghosts in his mind was to ignore them.
Ry glanced again at the pirate's insignia and grinned. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new badge of honor for the Silver Serpent," he said with a chuckle. "Let's slap this beauty on her hull!"
He reached out and grasped the metal plate, pulling himself back towards the ship with the precious cargo clutched tightly in his gloved hand. His breath resonated in his helmet as he focused on the immediate challenge—patching the hole left by the mysterious enemy attack.
----------------------------------------
The metal plate he just retrieved from the debris of the pirate ship was heavy and unwieldy, but it would serve its purpose. It was a makeshift solution, like so much else in Ry's life now, but it was all he had to work with. He groaned as he maneuvered the plate into position over the ragged edge of the hull breach.
Ry stood for a moment, surveying the damaged spot and mapping out his plan. Then he grunted with satisfaction and activated the plasma torch. A bright blue flame leapt to life, casting his gloved hands in an ethereal glow as he began to meld the patch into place.
The work was meticulous, requiring precise control over the torch's intensity and temperature. As he worked, Ry's mind drifted back to his days in the elite space explorer group. They'd been equipped with state-of-the-art tools and cutting-edge tech, their missions funded by governments and corporations eager to expand humanity's reach across the galaxy...
Now, here he was, jury-rigging a repair job with scavenged materials, his only backup the Silver Serpent herself.
He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the current work. Ry was almost finished when the torch’s flame flickered, nearing the end of its charge. "Good timing," he murmured, toggling the switch repeatedly until it finally died with a soft hiss. He'd have to recharge it later.
With a satisfied sigh, Ry secured the torch to his utility belt and gave the patched hull one last critical look. It would hold—for now. That was all he could ask for. He began to pull himself back towards the airlock, his mind already turning to the next challenge awaiting him inside the Silver Serpent…
----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/4-debris/Space_Wanderer_Debris_Debris2.jpg]
As he headed to the airlock, a barely visible flashing light among the debris caught his eye. "Strange," he murmured to himself, curiosity piqued. Wondering what the light could be and why he hadn’t noticed it earlier, he decided to investigate, despite feeling the fatigue from the patching work weighing on him.
Before making a detour, Ry quickly checked the fuel level on his suit's thrusters. "Enough for a quick look," he decided, seeing the gauge had enough to spare. Activating thrusters with a gentle burst, he maneuvered towards the source of the light, smoothly gliding in the zero-gravity environment.
Approaching, he slowed down, the thrusters emitting a soft hiss as they adjusted his position. As Ry got closer, he realized the source of the light—a strange, odd-shaped object emitting a pulsing signal. It lay partially buried among the debris, its outline obscured by the flotsam of space.
Ry paused, observing the peculiar object from a safe distance. His suit's lights cast everything in stark relief, adding a mysterious flair to the already dramatic scene.
Finally, with a mix of caution and fascination, Ry extended his arm, his fingers brushing against the cold, unyielding surface of the object. He felt the subtle vibrations of energy through his glove, a reminder of the life this piece of junk might once have held. Slowly, methodically, he brushed away the layers of dust and debris that clung to it like a shroud…
----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/4-debris/Space_Wanderer_Debris_Head.jpg]
Ry’s eyes widened as he realized what he was looking at. "A robot's head?" he exclaimed in surprise. But as he scrutinized it closer, he changed his mind: "No, not a robot's—an android's head!"
The sleek, sophisticated design was unmistakable, even marred by the explosion, with scorched marks and deep gouges from the violent blast. Yet, the intricate sensors and circuits flickered with life beneath the polyalloy* skin, evidence of the advanced technology that lay within.
Ry hesitated for a moment before claiming his prize, a sense of unease settling over him like a fog. This thing—whatever it was—had belonged to someone. Maybe to those pirates who'd sought to end him? And if so, this android—this piece of technology—might be his key to understanding what had happened here, and why those pirates had targeted him in the first place. He needed all the advantages he could get if he was going to survive out here!
With a sense of determination, Ry attached the android’s head to his belt and started making his way back towards his ship. And as he flew away from the wreckage field, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that he’d now uncovered something far bigger than just a sophisticated piece of metal—something that might very well change the course of his journey forever!
But for now, all he cared about was getting back inside, fixing his ship, and limping away from this debris while he still could. Whatever secrets that cybernetic head held, they'd have to wait—because out here, survival was everything. And right now, it wasn't guaranteed.
----------------------------------------
image [https://www.julianraymusic.com/story/images/chapters/1-ry/4-debris/Space_Wanderer_Space_800x200.jpg]
With a final glance at the debris field behind him, Ry stepped back into the airlock and initiated the cycle, eager to put some distance between him and this haunted place. The future would have to wait; for now, he had to live long enough to see it.
----------------------------------------